(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to an expandable arrow broadhead and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an arrow broadhead having a sliding shaft with a pointed tip. The sliding shaft is received in a sliding shaft housing. The housing is adapted for attaching to a hollow end of an arrow shaft. The broadhead is characterized by having at least two cutting blades attached to a lower portion of the pointed tip and attached to one end of pivot arms. The pivot arms include an elastic band mounted thereon. An opposite end of the pivot arms is attached to the side of an upper portion of the sliding shaft housing. During arrow flight, the cutting blades are held in a retracted position by the pivot arms and the elastic band. Upon target contact, the cutting blades are extended outwardly from the side of the sliding shaft housing for increased cutting and penetration in the target.
(b) Discussion of Prior Art
Heretofore, there have been a number of arrow broadheads having blades that extend outwardly when contacting a surface of a target. U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,976 to Grace, Jr. et al., discloses a mechanical broadhead having blades, mounted in longitudinal channels in a ferrule, that slide outwardly on a camming surface formed in an inward edge of each blade. U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,435 to Sodaro illustrates an arrowhead having spring loaded blades that expand outwardly upon contact with a target. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,910,979, 6,626,776 and 6,517,454 to Barrie et al. disclose blades having longitudinal grooves in the blades and a camming member for extending the blades outwardly upon target impact. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,669,586 and 6,200,237 to Barrie disclose blades mounted on a sliding body mounted on a length of the broadhead. As the sliding body moves rearwardly upon target impact, the blades engage a camming surface and are moved outwardly in an extended position. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,060 to Herzing discloses an arrowhead with expandable, cutting blades having link arms attached to the inside of the cutting blades. This arrowhead doesn't provide for having pivot arms with an elastic band that both expand the cutting blades into a fully-locked position on target contact and then retract the cutting blades when the arrowhead is removed from a target.
None of the above mentioned prior art broadhead patents particularly disclose or teach the structure and function of the subject arrow broadhead having a sliding shaft with a pointed tip and at least two cutting blades with pivot arms attached to the inside of the cutting blades. The sliding shaft is designed to move rearwardly upon target impact with the pivot arms extending the cutting blades outwardly from the sliding shaft housing and locking the blades open for increased cutting and target penetration and then retracting the cutting blades when removing the broadhead from the target.